De Bethune

Yesterday, at the Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix, De Bethune's DB28 was awarded the top prize, the "Aiguille d'Or" Grand Prix.

De Bethune was founded by David Zanetta and Denis Flageollet in 2002. "The pure contemporary aesthetic of De Bethune mechanical timepieces combines cutting-edge technological innovations with the horological know-how of the Manufacture which is inspired and nurtured by several centuries of history."

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This is the new De Bethune Dream Watch IV, an iPhone 4/4S case that features a mechanical clock as well as protection for your phone, and your brain.

Made of specular-polished and beadblasted titanium, the Dream Watch IV provides protection for the phone (although you may be more worried about breaking the case as it costs more than an iPhone), electromagnetic protection for the user by preventing damaging radio waves and, of course, a mechanical clock.

The mechanical clock displays the hours (Roman numerals) and minutes (Arabic numerals) via silvered discs on the front of the case (back of the phone). The time display features a hand-polished blued titanium sky dial, with white gold and diamond stars.

Available as a limited edition of 12-pieces.

The DB22 is a beautiful piece of modern haute horology from Swiss watchmaker De Bethune. De Bethune was originally founded 9 years ago, and since then has already produced 11 in-house calibers, resulting in 9 patents. This is an impressive feat for any watch brand, especially one of this size.

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I took this video of the De Bethune DB25 Dead Beat Tourbillon Regulator at the Four Seasons Hotel in Geneva, in January. It is quite an impressive timepiece, and the video allows you to see its complicated mechanics at work.

I arrived in Geneva yesterday, and had a chance to take some photos at Lake Geneva, including the famous Jet d'eau de Genève. I also had a chance to meet with one high-end brand who exhibits in the Four Seasons Hotel, De Bethune. Today, I will be attending SIHH 2011, which starts in a few hours. Check back later for "live" updates from the show.